Passing Of A Dear Friend
by Kneekicker
Summary: A short mini-series covering many of the SMT games, where character deaths that are otherwise untouched upon in game or non-canon are viewed in depth.
1. Pascal

Dead silence filled much of the desolate atmosphere where he stood. At his foot, lay his long-time friend and companion, lifeless and unmoving.

It was just over three decades that Kazuya and his companions disappeared from the face of Japan, though to them; it was barely but a day. Kazuya still remembers. When his friend disappeared.  
It all happened in a blur, after Yuji had finally cornered and killed Douman, Kazuya went over to Takeshi, bent over the floor attempting to recover his glasses. Pascal sat dormantly as Yuji peered over the terminal for faults. Then, he jumped. For whatever reason, he was compelled to jump straight into Gouto's terminal. Takeshi's face had alarmed me and before I knew it, Yuji had followed after Pascal. I followed the lead of Takeshi, barely even having the opportunity to heal my wounds, to the terminal where th three of us wound up at Shinjuku.

With naught a sign of Pascal.

I felt a wave of despair. Ever since my dear mother was consumed by demons within sight of my very eyes, Pascal was all I had to a true companion. Yuji and Takeshi, though good allies, were barely more than acquaintances with me. Pascal himself was a cherished gift from Mr. Nakajima, my life idol and my mother's former high school peer. Yuji half-heartedly attempted to soothe my concerns, though I still despaired.  
Pascal would never survive on his lonesome, not against the might of the damned demons. At that point, I had no choice but to pull my self together. Soon I lost Yuji and Takeshi parted ways, heading off on a separate path; with the Gaians. I found myself in the midst of a war between what were formerly my remaining friends. I did find companionship in Yuko, but she wasn't enough.

In the midst of this chaos, Pascal drifted from my mind. Whether he met his end was a question I had no desire to concern myself with, much to my dismay. Our path soon brought to Tokyo Destiny Land, where I saw him again.

My friend stood on the bridge, yet he was my friend no longer. He was crazed, tormented and no longer recognized me. At his first sign of hostility directed to me, my heart sank. Yuko readied her magic, though she hesitated upon realizing that I had neglected to summon my demons. "Why do you hesitate to summon Ose and Senri? You certainly must realize the beast standing before us displays hostility?"

_"No Yuko, that is no beast. That's my friend, he's no beast. He must recognize me, certainly he must. I refuse to accept that I will have to draw my blade at yet another friend!"_

It was of no use. I could not force out the truth. As Pascal pounced at Yuko, my mind went blank. I fiddled with the COMP, not understanding my actions. I summoned Kugutsu against my better judgement, my common sense all but defied. Pascal did diverge his attention to rip apart Kugutsu, during which I finally summoned Ose and Senri, to join Yuko in battle.  
Everything that occured after went past my mind. I had not yet even realized that my dear friend laid in a puddle of dark, muddy liquid, wheezing under the pressure of my blade. I recognized the familiar pulse of Bufudyne, as Yuko readied a spiralling pillar of ice directly at Pascal. I defied my common sense and embraced Pascal, his deep murky blood staining through my armour. I nuzzled against his familiar mane, an act he returned weakly to my chest. His sense had returned in his last moments, as he whimpered with his dying breath.  
The whimper that, prior to this entire mess, he had used whenever mother would refuse to let him in the house. The whimper that always said: _"I'll be a nice, just let me stay with you!"_

I openly cried as his blood ran cold against my hands. Ose and Senri nonchalantly returned to their place in my COMP and Yuko simply left me to my own, respecting the deceased Pascal.

Pascal was dead. Living no longer. I cursed out, with no attempt to conceal my sorrow. Damn the demons, they who took away my mother. Damn the gods, they who took away my hope.

Damn myself, for being unable to assist my friend in his hour of need.  
With resolve in my eyes, I beckoned for Yuko, and we set out for Tokyo Destiny Land.


	2. Atsuro Kihara

As the last of the flames burnt out, Atsuro Kihara could do nothing but watch. Past the smoldering ruins of the fire, he fixed his eyes on Kazuya. Kazuya Minegishi, formerly a man he trusted as a friend. Now, not so much. If it weren't for Naoya...

...Yuzu would never have left and Amane would still be alive. Somehow, Naoya's stupid rants against God had proved effective on Kazuya. At first, Atsuro believed Kazuya simply went along with Naoya by virtue of being his cousin. Over time though, it became apparent that Kazuya was no longer the man Atsuro knew. Having stuck by him for the past week, he refused to believe that his dear comrade could possibly side with demons. Sure, controlling demons is awesome and Atsuro definitely welcomed the idea of demons aiding humanity. But to actually **BECOME** a demon? Even if Kazuya bears he blood of Bel, he is still human, and Atsuro had always known him as one. Yuzu, Midori and Keisuke, all of them caught on to Kazuya's nature at some point. Atsuro never listened. He should have been tipped a hint when the news of Mari's death broke through, Atsuro had previously caught Kazuya reading from his COMP with a sly grin. Just a coincidence, right? Atsuro never felt more guilt than now.

After all that happened. Atsuro finally opened his eyes when Kazuya accepted Kaido's offer to finish off Amane. _"Amane is wrong about her ideals, but surely Kazuya will change her mind? At the very least, she won't hate our guts any more. He wouldn't really..." _Atsuro's thoughts were cut off as he glanced towards Kazuya, walking towards over to Amane.

_*dunk* *dunk* *dunk*_

Time froze, as Kazuya incinerated Amane. He didn't summon demons, no...  
...he incinerated her with his own hands. That's when Atsuro realized, Kazuya and Naoya can and will remove oppression. The very same Amane that saved them on the first day of the lockdown now was a smouldering ruin at the feet of Kazuya Minegishi.  
Atsuro couldn't think. He didn't even have the stomach for dinner, baby rabbits Kaido caught and roasted. Even when they all cheered in celebration, Atsuro only managed to return a half-hearted one. Why in the world was he cheering for the death of the woman who saved their lives?

Atsuro took the first shift of guard duty, imply to have time to muse. Running through possibilities, different scenarios and what-could-have-beens, he couldn't help but glance over at Kazuya every so often. Eventually Atsuro decided to take a walk, if only to calm their minds. Kaido wouldn't be able to wake up himself for his next shift, so Atsuro had some free time.

Walking through the streets, Atsuro decided to pop in a random convenience store. After scanning the area for hostility, he peered over anything interesting to help take his mind off things. The magazine racks were surprisingly in good shape, even though the rest of the store had been ransacked. Picking the top one, Atsuro flipped through pictures, not bothering to read. It wasn't until halfway that he realized the magazine was intended for adult audiences, though he could care less. He spotted a photo shoot of his favourite star at the beach, each picture taking over half a page.

_"Yo Kazuya, check out her equipment!"_

_"...and why are you showing me this at school of all places? You should hide that before someone sees."_

_"Never mind! I've been busted for worse. She's the star I've told you to check out!"_

_ "So, what do you think, Yuzu?"_

_ "...suits him well."_

_***SMACK***_

Atsuro couldn't help but giggle at the memory. Yuzu would always slap Atsuro when she saw one of his usual stunts, which was always. Atsuro's mind drifted to Yuzu. Where is she now? Hopefully we'll meet again, then we could each apologize.

The area around Atsuro illuminated a deep blue, then disappeared just as swiftly. Lightning? No, there wasn't any noise. Running out of the store, Atsuro saw the source drifting towards Asakusa. Something compelled Atsuro to give chase, and he soon set off towards the light, leaving the magazine behind.  
The area was strangely devoid of demons, and Atsuro seen realized why; a gigantic angel stood in the clearing, his heavenly pulse emanating from his body. Atsuro's heart skipped beats, as he realized that this angel is an enemy, given that Atsuro did side with the demons. Before Atsuro could make chase though, he saw a purple outfit in the corner of his eye. As he leaned in to look closer, he realized it was Midori talking to the angel, with Yuzu at his side. His mind became rushed, before he realized that he was standing in plain view. Midori quickly noticed him and yelped, alerting the angel. Atsuro cried out in fear as he realized that he was now at the mercy of the angel.

"Mortal filth...I see your path is that with thy fallen messiah...why do you reject the hand of His holiness?" Atsuro stammered, his mind desperate to come out with an excuse that'll only leave him beaten to a pulp instead of being killed. To his surprise, Yuzu responded in his stead.  
"A-angel, that's...he's my...f-friend. He's useless, incompetent, stupid, disgusting, obnoxious and h-he really isn't here for a bad reason. I know him well, he probably just wondered her looking to pee. Please! Please give him a chance?

Atsuro sighed with relief that he was going to be spared, though he didn't necessarily like the comments about him. The angel though, never broke his stance.  
"Sinner...what purpose brings you to my presence? Do you realize your standing as accomplice to the fallen Messiah? You now stand at the mercy of His holy messenger. It is I, Metatron."

Before Atsuro could respond, Yuzu dragged him away. "ATSURO? WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE, Y-YOU STUPID JERK? NOW THE ANGEL GUY IS GONNA MURDER YOU TO DEATH UNTIL YOU'RE DEADER THAN DEAD, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE FRIENDS WITH JERKFACE AND SUPER-JERKFACE!"  
It didn't take a genius to figure out Jerkface and Super-Jerkface referred to Kazuya and Naoya respectively. Atsuro seized the opportunity to apologize.  
"Yuzu...I'm sorry for everything. I was wrong...forgive me..." Yuzu's anger soon subsided upon seeing Atsuro's troubled face.  
"Kazuya, h-he killed Amane! He, Naoya and Kaido, they killed the Shonmonkai!"  
"What... this is no time for jokes, Atsuro... tell me you're lying..."  
Atsuro hesitated to respond, giving Yuzu time to recover. The poor girl has went through so much, either of them could break at any time now.

"I'm just scared, I don't know what to do..."  
**"JUSTICE KNOWS WHAT TO DO!"**  
Midori's sudden outburst shocked Atsuro to the ground, as his brain processed the fact that Midori had led the angel to their conversation. His heart sank at the sight of him again.  
"So, uh...Mr. Metatron? Can Atsuro be friends with us again? I know he's helping the demons and all but, he's really not all that bad! He can help us!"  
Help?  
"While you do possess tremendous power, we have no intention of enlisting the help of a scorned mortal such as you. On the contrary, we are in dire need of power should we hope to stand a chance against the King of Bel. I shall leave you to your devices, though if you return to the King of Bel, tell him to heed my warnings."  
The angel known as Metatron took his leave, leaving Atsuro alone with Yuzu and Midori. Strange, before the lockdown it was always his dream to be stuck alone with cute girls to himself. Under the circumstances though, Atsuro never even acknowledged the thought.  
"Yay! Now that you're here, you can spend the night! The forces of magical judgement will always prevail against evil!"  
"Midori...she's right. You can't possibly return to...Kazuya. Not at this hour..."  
"Now that that's been settled, you have first shift! Nighty night!"  
Just like that, Midori drifted to sleep. Atsuro suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion hit him as he processed what Midori had said. Checking the COMP, it was now 23:30. Way past 'lockdown curfew' as Atsuro called it. Yuzu must have sensed his fatigue, because she spoke up.  
"Don't worry, I'll trade my shift with you if-if you'll think about helping us. I can't possibly imagine a world like Naoya described. I just want peace, even if it's from the angels and their Millenium thing. I don't care about shopping and that stuff anymore, as long as Naoya's world doesn't happen; I'll do anything. Even..even if I have to face Kazuya."  
"I'll think about it."

To be honest, he still didn't know what to think. Using his bag and hat as makeshift pillows, he pulled himself on the ground against a tree and he drifted off towards happier times...

_"S-so, can I really meet your cousin, dude? He's like a celebrity among us programmers man!"_  
_"Hahaha, of course you may. Just be glad I caught him on an off day. His apartment in Aoyama is kinda far, so make the most of it."_  
_"S-seriously dude? Awesome! If you ever need something cracked, you got a man! There's this new game out call-"_  
_"I've already got a man. Name's Naoya."_  
_"...very funny. I retract my offer."_

_"Oh, you brought a friend?"_  
_"H-hi, my name is uh...that is... I'm a programmer, just like you! My name is-_** "ATSURO!"**  
Atsuro jolted awake. Apparently, it's his shift now.  
"Geez, Atsuro, you sleep better than daddy! You'll never be a defender of justice if you're being a lazypants!"  
Grudgingly, Atsuro went over to the tree stump Midori sat at, as he assumed guard duty.  
_"Tomorrow, I'll be facing Kazuya, Naoya and Kaido in battle. Which decision is more just? Siding with the angels or the demons? At this point, they're the only two options left available."_  
Atsuro removed himself from Kazuya's party and joined together with Yuzu and Midori. Once the COMP finished updating, Atsuro sat. For the rest of the night, Atsuro contemplated until the sun dawned, whereas he shook up Yuzu and Midori.

"AHHHN~. I had such a good sleep, how about you guys?"  
"I do trust you have made your decision, mortal?"  
Atsuro's heart yet again skipped a beat as the angel formed before him. Stuttering, he mustered his strength and replied.  
"I-I'll help you out."  
Atsuro's heart ached with pain. Kazuya is no longer his friend. The world they seek, dominionship over demons and a war against God, he doesn't like it a bit. Particularly, taking the war up to God seemed too drastic. What of the Earth? If the demons win or lose, what happens to Earth? At least Atsuro knew what the angels have in mind.  
"Oh? Very well. We are to engage the King of Bell and his companions at Shinobazu Pond."  
With his word, Metatron disappeared yet again.  
"Lets go..."  
Without a word, Atsuro solemnly followed Yuzu and Midori to Shinobazu. At least Kazuya's outnumbered, that was reassuring.

The voice of Metatron sounded out, challenging Kazuya. At last, they appeared at Shinobazu Pond, where Metatron had brought along an army for assistance. We're the final line of defense, Atsuro thought, if we lose the entire war is lost.  
Standing before Atsuro, Kaido looked almost annoyed. Naoya and Kazuya had indifferent expressions, chilling Atsuro to the bone. Not a word was exchanged.  
Metatron addressed them with great fury, Naoya replied in equal fury. Soon the tension was split and Metatron engaged battle.  
Atsuro responded to Yuzu's signal and summoned the demons from his COMP, the demons assigned to him by Kazuya. Kazuya winced at the sight of Onkyo-Ki and Asura, the demons he trusted to Atsuro. Kazuya had never even considered the thought of Atsuro's betrayal, as they were among his finest demons. At this, Kazuya pulled his COMP and unleashed his own demons.

Atsuro was stunned, as were Yuzu and Midori. Among the demons of Kazuya, one was gigantic with deep indigo skin, flowing hair and long, tattered wings. The other was none other than Metatron himself, an exact likeliness.  
"W-what is the meaning-"  
"...In a world not unlike this one, I defeated you in this very battlefield. The presence of Atsuro changes...nothing."  
"...Megidoloan..."

And within an instant... Atsuro lost sight of his surroundings and was engulfed in a massive vertex of energy. Metatron fared no better, just barely holding on. Atsuro wasn't sure how Yuzu and Midori were doing, but the female shrieks that pierced the air soon after confirmed his fear. In just an instant, Atsuro collapsed, blood soaking into his burnt skin. Looking ahead, he saw a flabbergasted Kaido and a slightly bewildered Naoya. The footsteps of Kazuya loomed closer.  
"Atsuro, why? This has previously never occurred."  
"I've realized...what you're doing will destroy the structure of the world. To kill...God? Why? Why would such an absurd thought even cross your mind? You've changed...Kaz-Minegishi. You're a monster. Even if you only wanted to kill God, why kill...everyone else?  
"God's tyrannical reign ends. I am Bel, I shall defeat God where I failed the first time."

Atsuro heard no more, as a fiery inferno engulfed him. Straight from the hands of one Kazuya Minegishi.


	3. SEES

**January 30****th****, 2008**

In the dark cold of the evening, the members of SEES all gathered around a playground, each playing with one another to their hearts content. Makoto's hair swayed as he gazed at everyone he came to know as friends. Except not really, Makoto still went by surname basis with them. He didn't know them awfully well enough to use their given names. Takeba…berating Iori for another of his usual corny jokes at her expense. Sanada…playing chase with Koromaru and Amada. Kirijo…lost deep in thought, Yamagishi keeping her company.

Aigis simply sat together with Makoto. Between the sounds of SEES goofing off, an eerie silence came between Makoto and Aigis. Perhaps she too knew that this was the first time SEES ever came to the park together (minus Shinjiro Aragaki).

If so, then she must also know that there is the very possibility that this will also be their last time at the park together. Makoto thought, surely the others realized too. Iori's antics weren't as crazy as usual and Sanada occasionally slowed to a halt in their game, prompting Amada to drag him back. Reminiscing about the Aragaki guy, no doubt.

The silence was broken by Aigis soon after. Everybody stopped in their tracks, full attention pointed to the android.  
"Do you think… that we should have taken up Ryoji's offer after all?" Aigis' face wore a troubled expression. "There does exist the possibility that- that we may not survive our evident battle against Nyx. A-"

Whatever Aigis was about to say next got cut off by Kirijo.

"Aigis. Whether we survive or not is not the question we must ponder among ourselves. Our real question is whether or not we have the strength and capability to carry out our duties as SEES. Your concern for your fellow companions are well intentioned regardless. To be quite frank…" Kirijo hesitated, gazing over each and every member of SEES. "…I too, have growing concerns welling within me."

Kirijo was right to be hesitant. Being the founder and former leader of SEES itself, Mitsuru placed the well-being of her team as her first priority, to ensure she would remain strong in the face of her friends in dire times. It does no good when your source of courage and inspiration finds herself at a lost.

Seeing as Kirijo was in a bind, Makoto made a comment of his own. He too was responsible for the team, being their leader.

"Come on…guys. What's there to worry about?"

Makoto's remark placed a grim mood on his team, the inverse of his desired effect. It wasn't exactly his fault though. He wasn't good around people, the guys at school are nothing more than classmates and Makoto barely knew his teammates outside of SEES work.

Makoto was uncomfortable in this situation, never having had a friend.

"Um, e-everyone!" The one who spoke up was timid old Fuuka. "I-I'm sure Yuki-san didn't mean anything by that! He's-We're all confused right now, so let's go home and have a good night's sleep okay? Sleep does good for the human body…right?"

Koromaru shot a look of 'Hey that insulted me' at Yamagishi, then proceeded to follow everybody home. One by one, everybody filed out the park, scared to face tomorrow.

Makoto lingered longer.

"_It should be alright. I have strong Persona from training by myself in Tartarus. Surely the other's trained too? It'll be okay, just like it always has been. I'll carry everyone through by myself, I'm the leader."_

* * *

**January 31****st****,**** 2008**

Soon after climbing to the summit of Tartarus, Makoto and his team ventured up to face the dreaded Nyx, attempting to remove the gruesome death scream of Jin from their minds. There, on the roof of Tartarus, Nyx stood gallantly. Fear welled up in SEES and Kirijo frantically hushed everyone, attempting to quell their fears.

As Nyx addressed the group, fear yet again welled up in the throat of Makoto, presumably his teammates as well. Koromaru whimpered and cowered behind Amada, himself clutching a shaking Sanada's leg.

"_Dammit, morale's not high enough. They're making me more and more afraid every time I look at them. Why am I so scared? Nyx's just some stupid uber shadow, right? Right? So why are they scared? Have I not been a proper leader? Come to think of it…I only ever knew their surnames. I don't actually know their given names. Is that why? They call each other by their given names. I'm pretty sure I never did any fancy speeches or anything like that. That's surely not important."_

A cry of agony bellowed behind the team, as they realized shadows were approaching. Soon they would be sandwiched.

"Everyone! Remain calm! We have to intercept the shadows! Ken, Junpei, Yukari and Koromaru will hold them back. Makoto, Akihiko, Aigis and I will face Nyx!"

Desperate, Makoto followed up on Kirijo. "Yeah! Listen to Ki-I mean, listen to Mitsuru!" Using her given name was weird for Makoto, though nobody noticed.

Immediately, Nyx sneered at Sanada. He unleashed a barrage of punches, barely fazing Nyx. Aigis too unloaded a barrage of bullets, taking care not to injure her teammates. Nyx then showed signs of pain, prompting Mitsuru to freeze her in place.

"Makoto! Now!" Makoto was surprised at the sudden order. Wasn't he the leader?"

"But that's not what I'm planni-"

"By the stars, have you gone quite mad? She's defenseless! Use your brain and take advantage of it!"

Begrudgingly, Makoto summoned his star persona, Alice, and attacked Nyx, stunning her. In but a moment though, Nyx recovered. Muttering words nobody bothered to hear, she suddenly started attacking; at Fuuka no less.

The battle continued more or less the same, with Makoto following the orders of an increasingly agitated Mitsuru. The battle continued an eternity, occasionally with the defense team accidentally letting a shadow into the arena. In the end though, when Nyx looked to be defeated, raven black wings drooped over, everybody stared on, tattered, bruised and exhausted.

Then, they watched in horror as the Fall came about, absorbing Nyx within it. Slowly and agonizingly, the members of SEES collapsed to the ground underneath the immense pressure. Makoto closed his eyes, desperate to find an answer.

…he found himself in pitch darkness. Within, an eerie sense of peace came as the uncomfortable voice of Igor came. Makoto never saw the old bugger much for anything other than fusion and even then those were handled by Elizabeth.

"Ah, it is you. Do you see it? Look around you, look at the bonds you have forged with those you love."

Makoto looked. A faint light made its way. Within it, all he saw were the missions SEES went through together, every full moon. Pharos was the only other person who appeared in the light. Though another figure did appear, Makoto couldn't make it out. It seemed to be a female character model from a video game. The hell was that doing here?

"I did tell you to forge Social Links, have I not? Look before you, the light you see are the bonds you have forged."

Makoto went white at the mention of those Social Links. What in the hell had he done the past year? He called back. Studying, studying, studying, training by himself in Tartarus, sleeping in class, playing Junpei's MMO with some lady.

Did he ever spend time with his friends? Looking through the past, Makoto only ever addressed SEES on important business, otherwise he was studying. Pharos came in his sleep once in a while, making talk with Makoto. In that desolate MMO, a lady he talked with made a heart in the sand.

So in the course of nine months, Makoto made friends with a person who might not even exist and a random gamer.

An ear-splitting scream shook Makoto out of the darkness. Looking around for the source, he found a gruesome sight; Amada was crushed under the immense pressure, now a pile of black goop. Fuuka was the one who screamed. Makoto panicked, he looked around for the others, desperate for their safety. Meanwhile the pulse from the full moon increased, ripping through his head. Barely able to even concentrate, he saw Koromaru being engulfed in black, turning into a shadow before he too collapsed much like Amada did. Slowly, more and more fell, and the screams gradually disappeared.

Fuuka Yamagishi.

Yukari Takeba.

Junpei Iori.

Akihiko Sanada.

Mitsuru Kirijo.

Makoto also heard an unknown, male scream filled with glee, though at this point he couldn't place his finger on who it was. Sparks flew and seared through Makoto's skin, as Aigis' internal backup power failed her and she too collapsed in a heap of metal.

All around, people died. Makoto attempted to call the power within him, but it never came.

With a flash, Makoto too was engulfed. As his life faded away, he could only release a single tear.

"_If…only I was…a better leader…a better…friend."_

* * *

Author: These first three chapters were challenges my friends made to me, a chapter per day. Given that they were completed in a day, I'm truly sorry for the quality. The bet's over, I got my money and hopefully I'll find the chance to fix up the story a bit and spend more time on future chapters.

For the next chapter, I'm deciding to either do Soul Hackers or Devil Survivor 2. DS2 would be hard, as the anime's nearly covered everybody's death so I may not actually do it. If I do, I might focus on Hibiki.

I referred to Everyone by their surnames because from the perspective of a Makoto who never pursued his Social Links, they'd be nothing more than acquaintances. Aigis and Koromaru don't have surnames, so I left them as-is. I contemplated honorifics, but later decided against it.


	4. Hitomi Tono

Keiji Minegishi wearily walked the streets of Amami City, Shingo Sako merrily sleeping on his back. Otherwise known as Six to the Spookies.  
Keiji just couldn't wait to return to the familiar trailer that he called his second home. After all, Six just had to get sucked inside the VR Mansion, a place Keiji wasn't eager to return to. At his side, Nemissa walked in an equal gloom.

Six stirred in his sleep, annoying Keiji. Sometimes being a man is tough. He picked up his pace, Six's weight dragging him down. It was nighttime, so nobody really walked the streets. The few people who were out at this time were all traveling by cars, so Keiji and Nemissa had the path to themselves.

It took quite some time, but Keiji finally made it back to the trailer. Lunch immediately started bombarding Keiji with questons, all of which he waved off. Dejected, Lunch cleared off space to lay Six, still sleeping soundly.

"Wow, you sure got it rough, eh?"

The gruff voice of Spooky startled Keiji. Before he could react, he felt the butt of a cigarette searing through his coat. He frantically brushed the butt off, relieved to see his coat with no major damages. He shot a glare at Spooky.

"Whoa there, now that was just an accident. Don't give me that look."  
Taking a seat next to the sleeping Nemissa, he continued.  
"So, we should think about our next move. What of Paradigm X? We know now that it's the source of the illnesses, what Six suffered through. Thing is, what do we do about it?"  
"Eh, we should wait until Six, Yuichi and Hitomi are awake first before discussing. This is something serious, and we'll all have to discuss it as a whole."  
"True, Lunch. True. Let's get some rest first, then we'll decide."  
Spooky took a seat next to Six and lit another cigarette, blissfully unaware of the presence behind their trailer.

"…well then, your information is much obliged. Finnegan sure fixed the boy up, eh? Not that it's my business, I'm installing it right now."

And with a click, the explosive was latched on the trailer. The resulting noise resonated through the parking lot, alarming Spooky. Crushing the cigarette, he stepped off to come face to face with a charming woman, parasol in hand. Lunch and Keiji soon followed after, all eyes focused on the mysterious lady.

"My, my, my. You certainly are the nosey bunch. You've caused quite enough trouble to the Dark Society, surely you realize? Sorry, but business is business, you all are to fall at my hands."

With a twirl of her parasol, the woman known as Mayone summoned a group of demons, provoking Keiji into summoning his own. Lunch and Spooky ran back in, alerting Six and Nemissa to the hostile outside.  
In a moment's notice, Mayone rushed up to Keiji, whapping him in the shoulder. Her demons followed and try as he might, he was simply too tired to fend off her attacks after the rough battle against Six's sister in the VR Mansion. Her demons charged again; straight into a blast of electricity. Keiji knew Nemissa had joined the fray and he rushed in towards Mayone, his demons much too tired to battle.

Alone, Mayone held off Keiji's fierce blows and swifty dodged another of Nemissa's strikes. Acting on instinct, Mayone fingered the control panel in her dress, setting off the sequence for the explosive. In the midst of battle, neither of her enemies noticed the countdown of the bomb.

"All that's needed…is simply to delay them-"  
"**GRAHH! BOMB!"**

Taken off guard by the piercing scream of Lunch, Mayone never saw the bullet that ended her life. Nemissa withdrew her pistol and rushed over to the trunk of the trailer, where Lunch gasped in horror.

"BLOWING ANY SECOND! RUN! JUST RUN!"

Barely even having time to collect their thoughts, Keiji just ran.

And ran. Soon, a fiery explosion blazed through the area, scorching Keiji. His ears started ringing and white started clouding his vision. Barely able to keep himself together, he staggered onwards and collapsed under the heat. He opened his eyes for a split second, to see the familiar sight of Dark Summoners. With them stood Yuichi, his mind dazed. Finnegan kept a firm grasp on his shoulders.

"_Gods…this was all orchestrated…no way to see this coming, gah…they got Yuichi all this time…?"_

Keiji's vision disappeared as his consciousness slipped.

* * *

When he awoke, he was nude in a confinement cell. The constant ringing of footsteps everywhere he looked. Attempting to move his hand and wipe his brow, he found that his hands were bound.

"_Of course."_

Keiji let out a string of colorful profanities, hopefully he'll catch someone's attention. Within a moment, he heard the sound of his cell opening, and his face soon met the sole of a shoe.

"Keep quiet, maggot. You are under arrest, charged with numerous accounts of grand larceny, personal assault against Algon Soft personnel, defacing Algon Soft property and resisting arrest. But most importantly, you are under treason for conspiring with terrorists!

Keiji was enraged, the majority of those were caused by Algon themselves.  
"Heh, you guys fit the terrorist bill better, you demon users! I know you all are part of the Phantom Society!"

A pause. Then laughter.

"Ohhohohohoho! Ahahahahahaha! What, may I ask, is this nonsense about demons and the phantom society? Are you quite out of your mind? Why, I may just remind you that you are being televised as of this moment! The whole of Amami will see you for the terrorist that you are!"

The black dressed man Keiji recognized as vice president chuckled. Then, his face turning grim, he turned to Keiji, grasping his chin.

"Oh, how futile your efforts are. We have custody of your GUMP, you know! The peculiar thing is, it happens to belong to one of our fellow employees! God bless him, for he's dead. Was he in cohoots with you too? Unlock the GUMP."

Keiji stared on. Why his GUMP?

"You see, this GUMP, it contains a very private secret. It little something called…Nemissa. You will die by the hands of the law soon, so make yourself useful. Give us the program."

Mustering up his strength, he spat in Nishi's face. A summoner immediately detained Keiji, while Nishi glared.

Keiji was deported to a chamber by the summoner, where he saw the beaten Spookies kneeling on the floor in defeat, their face being broadcasted across Amami for all to see.

"You should consider yourself lucky boy, your family will never know the truth behind their sweet loving boy, secretly a terrorist plotting doom on Amami. Look at your companions, look at their pain as the truth is unveiled for all to see."

With a flash, Nishi called upon a demon. Helpless against its might, Keiji's mind was overtaken by the parasite, his entire being now the domain of the demon. Upon being presented Urabe's GUMP, the demon entered the lock combination, overriding the safety.

"I want the extraction program uploaded to our server pronto."

* * *

Nemissa watched on, as she was strapped inside a capsule, slowly being drained of her power. As her power dissipated, Hitomi's hair returned to it's natural brown color. Nemissa too, began to lose her form. She felt her link between Hitomi being severed and as the last of her being was returned to the Algon servers, her host collapsed lifeless, her body being host for far too long. Nishi smirked. Thanks to the bug Finnegan installed inside the obnoxious boy, they were able to track the Spookies down and formulate a plan to retrieve Nemissa. Soon, she will become one with Manitou once again.

And the city of Amami shall never know the dark secrets of Algon, with all threat to their power removed. Soon, the Kuzonoha will fall also. Kadokura smirked.

_"Even they are no match for our might now..."_


	5. Daleth the anti-Messiah

Daleth grimaced. Though Aleph resisted to the best of his efforts, the Megiddo Arc still partially grazed through Shinjuku. Fortunately, none of the fairies he came to know as friends saw harm, though the Arc has placed Oberon in high alarm. The love of his live, Hanoun, had been busy tending to the fears of the fairies, with good results.

It was then that determination sparked within Daleth. He with his own eyes saw the monstrous side of the Center, branding him as the anti-Messiah and brushing him off without a thought. Their evil knows no bound, as he and Aleph found. The single greatest act of evil though, was the creation of a false Yahweh, theirs to command and follow to their liking. The information reached Daleth through means better left undiscussed, though he neglected to tell Aleph until the last moment.

He knew, that Aleph was quite possibly facing the real deal this very moment. Satan served as their back up trump card, if he and the Megiddo Arc were stopped, there is nothing standing between the Messiah and the Lord. The presence of the disgraced angel Lucifer only slightly alleviated his worries.

Placing his finished note on Hanoun's bedside, Daleth burst out of his home, eager to join the Messiah in battle.

* * *

Aleph could barely keep the grip on his sword, he has had an absurd amount of battles against Elohim, Shaddai, Sabaoth and Satan, all preceding the other. Aleph and Hiroko attempted to conserve their strength in the battles, but Satan proved more than a worthy match against the Messiah and the Fallen Angel.  
With unrivaled fear, he looked onwards to the Lord himself. He had spared what remained of his rations and equipment to Hiroko, seeing as her magic was waning. Aleph still couldn't figure out his plan. The more Yahweh addressed Lucifer, the more he was agitated. Soon, he engaged battle, engulfing the Lord in flames. Hiroko wasted no time in following up with her own, doubling the mass of the flames. Aleph gripped his COMP, summoning his reserve demons. When the flames subsided, his demons amplified his power, allowing him to deliver a clear blow to Yahweh.

Though the Lord showed signs of pain, he continued his mockery of the trio before him, enraging Lucifer further. While they were busy fighting, Aleph drew back and allowed his demons to apply her magic on his wounds. Within seconds, Aleph was recovered and joined his friend in the fray of battle.

* * *

Daleth knew he was going the right way. The Megiddo Arc still bore traces of energy within, allowing Daleth to track the source to the angel of judgement, nothing more than a heap of dust at his feet. Daleth peered over his own COMP, checking on the conditions of his demons. They were all heavily injured, which was to be expected. Daleth hadn't fought seriously in ages. He pressed onwards, determined to help Aleph, even if his own demons weren't going to be of much use.

A blast of concentrated electricity pierced through the area, barely avoiding Daleth.

"_Yes, they're here."_

Eager to take revenge on the Messians as a whole, he rushed forwards to the sight of Hiroko on the ground, Aleph and Lucifer still fighting vigilantly. Without a second thought, Daleth pumped a vial of clear liquid down the woman. Surprised, Hiroko jumped, then sighed when her eyes set upon Daleth.

Aleph sensed a fifth presence, and upon looking back saw Daleth. Bewildered, he never saw Yahweh slash at him, sending him flying to Daleth's feet.

"But, why?"  
No words. Daleth simply joined Lucifer's side, hacking away at Yahweh. Annoyed at the additional foe, he yet again mocked the group. Within an instant of opening his mouth, Yahweh was engulfed by more flames.

"Daleth, why are you here? This is no your fight."  
"Do I need a reason to be here? We've lived under lies far too long."

A blow finally hit Daleth, sending him flying. He had severely overestimated his own strength, there was no possible way he could survive a second blow.

Upon looking up, Daleth saw a black vortex of energy, aimed specifically at Aleph. In an instant, Yahweh opened his mouth and sent a shrill scream.

Daleth never moved faster in his life. Jumping up, he intercepted the scream, himself screaming in pain. His mind was ringing heavily, ready to split at a moment's notice. Yahweh intensified the scream, drawing blood from Daleth's head. His ears, his eyes, his nose, his mouth, all of his head drew blood. The voice of the Lord beyond mortal comprehension, he dropped to the floor, dead.

Aleph never felt such fury. The man who had slain Beth now lay in a heap. He had been unable to keep the promise of both men staying alive. Over time, Daleth's antagonistic nature subsided and Aleph found a genuine friend within him.

With a rage, he assaulted Yahweh. And again. And again. And again.

The battle continued on, the intrusion of Daleth having had no impact.

* * *

_**Even in end, Daleth's curse followed him. Not a soul knew of his demise, the citizens of Shinjuku still waiting in hope. Hanoun still waiting in the home they shared, a small bundle of joy in her arms.**_  
_**The tale of Daleth would never reach the pages of history, for Aleph too fell to the Lord, cursed to an eternal damnation.**_

_**All the Tokyo Millennium combined held not a single prayer to the anti-Messiah, the name of Aleph clouding the streets. For Daleth was no hero.**_

_**To the people, he was nothing more than a tool. **_


End file.
